Friday, September 14, 2012

"Gal" Friday! AZ Powergirl

Photo by Dennis Larson

Yours truly and this weeks "Gal" Friday1

Prepping for Baltimore; ooh-la-la.

I spent last weekend in Maryland, enjoying the Baltimore Comic-Con! There was lots of fun to be had, and lots of sights to take in, plus being there gave me an opportunity to bring you this weeks "gal" Friday selection in person (so to speak). Cara Nicole is one of several prominent cosplayers who superbly fill out the classic uniform of DC Comics heroine "Power Girl" at various conventions and shows around the country. At such appearances she bills herself as "AZ Powergirl", and I must say that seeing her in the flesh is quite uplifting. I had only been aware of her fairly recently, and so it was particularly thrilling to happen upon her booth while strolling among the aisles in Baltimore. I conscripted my brother into photographer duty, and the resulting pic (above; middle) is presented here for your edification; oh, and the t-shirt draped over my shoulder wasn't an oversight on my part. It was left there because I was drooling! Cara obviously enjoys having some fun with her genre roles as she travels, and she is a cool chick to meet in person. As a bonus, I have a neat premium item giveaway for anyone who might have missed out on seeing her at a con appearance. For the next month, post your name in this thread, and on October 15, 2012 I will randomly draw one lucky visitors name from everyone who enters to receive a signed copy of her 26 page photo book from Baltimore; which will be mailed free of charge as a courtesy of the Catacombs. It's a nice full-color look at Cara's behind the scenes cosplay, modeling and acting career, and hopefully winning this comic-sized book will warm the cockles of your heart. Good luck to all!

How it all began ....

In 1933, publishers at Eastern Color Press, intent to make better use of their printing equipment (which frequently sat idle between jobs), came up with the idea of printing an 8-page comic section that could be folded down from the large broadsheet to a smaller 9-inch by 12-inch format. The result was the first modern comic book. Containing reprints of newspaper comic strips, this experimental comic book titled "Funnies On Parade" was given away for free. It proved so popular that the following year Eastern published "Famous Funnies" and took the bold step of selling the comic for ten cents through chain stores. The enterprise was a smashing success and Eastern began churning out numerous reprints on a monthly basis. Other publishers, eager to get in on the profits, jumped on the bandwagon and the comic book industry was born!